Binder composition for improved tack coat and stress absorbing membrane interlayer application for road construction

ABSTRACT

A method of installing an asphalt pavement, which method involves: identifying a surface to be paved; applying a non-tracking layer of binder composition to the surface; and permitting the application of an asphalt layer over the non-tracking layer of binder composition. The binder composition consists essentially of: at least one asphalt binder; at least one elastomer; and ethylene bis stearamide. In a further embodiment the binder composition consists essentially of: at least one asphalt binder; at least one elastomer; sulfur; and ethylene bis stearamide. The composition is applied as a tack coat and/or a stress absorbing membrane interlayer and is non-tracking.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 16/105,093, filed Aug. 20, 2018, which is acontinuation of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No.15/622,604, filed Jun. 14, 2017 which was based on U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/349,875, filed Jun. 14, 2016 to each of whichnon-provisional and provisional applications priority is claimed under35 U.S.C. § 120 and of each of which the entire specifications arehereby expressly incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the installation, repair, andpreventive maintenance of asphalt paved surfaces. More particularly thepresent invention relates to a hot-applied binder composition for use intack coat applications, stress absorbing membrane interlayers (SAMI) andnon-tracking stress absorbing membrane interlayers (NT-SAMI) for asphaltpaving and road construction. More specifically, the present inventionrelates to a non-tracking, hot-applied binder application with improvedlow temperature flexibility for use beneath asphalt mix courses.

In the installment of asphalt paving mix courses for the purpose ofbuilding, repairing or maintaining existing roads, the application of anadhesive material is required beneath the mix courses to provide a bondto the existing, underlying surface. This application of adhesivematerial is also required between mix courses when constructing newroads.

Inadequate adhesion beneath or between asphalt mix courses can oftenlead to premature cracking, delamination or slippage beneath and/orbetween mix courses and the overall failure of roadways. The results ofpremature failure can be dangerous for vehicular traffic and generallyare costly to correct for responsible agencies and taxpayers.

Adhesive materials for bonding asphalt mix courses are known in the artand are referred to as tack coats. A typical tack coat may be comprisedof a certain percentage of asphalt cement liquid, emulsifiers, water orother additives and may be applied at hot, warm or ambient climatetemperatures.

A common phenomenon associated with asphaltic emulsions (comprised ofasphalt cement, water and emulsifier) when used in tack coatcompositions is that a certain amount of curing time is required torelease the water phase of the emulsions. Application rates are usuallyin the range of 0.05 to 0.15 gallon per square yard of about 60% asphaltcontent emulsion. Generally, curing times run from the start of the tackcoat application to the beginning of asphalt mix course installation.The minimum curing time is determined by the speed that water isreleased from the asphalt emulsion material. Higher application ratestake longer to cure and create traction issues for the constructionequipment. During the curing time which can run from 15 minutes tohours, it is often the case that the traveling public is not permittedto drive on the tack coat, resulting in costs related to roadway laneclosures or detouring of traffic. Ironically, during this curing periodit is a very common industry practice for asphalt paving equipment andasphalt mix hauling trucks to drive on the tack coat application. Theresults of this common practice often lead to the tack coat beingdisplaced, picked up or tracked away by the haul vehicle tires or tracksfrom its intended area of adhesion. As a result this practice can leadto incomplete bonding in the areas damaged by construction traffic whichcorresponds often with the wheel paths of traffic later.

Tack coats may be comprised of liquid asphalt cement and are typicallyapplied at elevated temperatures and are generally referred to as“hot-applied tack coats”. Typical application rates of hot-applied tackcoats are about 0.05 to 0.1 gallon per square yard. Paving grade asphaltcements have been used, with a range of different consistencies, fromsofter grades, such as 150 penetration or higher, to harder grades withpenetrations below 100. While these materials only require thetemperature to drop to typically below 140° F. prior to the beginning ofpaving, they often are still prone to picking up on paving equipmenttires or tracks. An inadequate amount of tack coat material, prior tothe placement of the hot mix asphalt paving course, results in prematurepavement failures, such as described above in reference to the use ofasphalt emulsion tack coat materials.

In an effort to overcome tracking issues associated with asphaltemulsion tack coats or hot-applied tack coats, a category classified as“non-tracking tack coat” materials have been developed. The non-trackingtack coat materials have been implemented in the form of asphaltemulsion and hot-applied asphalt materials. While application rates maybe similar to other hot-applied tack coats, due to the harder asphaltused in the formulation, higher application rates may be used, reportedto be as high as 0.2 gallon per square yard. Hot-applied, non-trackingtack coats are reported to cure faster than conventional hot-appliedtack coats and asphalt emulsion tack coats. Hot-applied, non-trackingtack coats are typically comprised of asphalt liquid cements having apenetration (pen) of less than 40 dmm. These low pen materials result inbrittle behavior for their intended use in tack coat applications and asa result of the brittleness lead to bond failure demonstrated bypremature longitudinal wheel path cracking and delamination of asphalticmix courses.

An additional issue with emulsified tack coats is that generally if theyare applied at too high of an application rate they run (flow) beforecuring due to the low viscosity of the emulsions. When paving on hillsor curves with grades this problem of running (flowing) often is dealtwith by reducing the application rate. While highway agencies want ahigher rate applied, it is difficult with to achieve higher rates withemulsions which represent at least 95% of all tack coats used today.Further contractors do not like the mess of the emulsion tack coats ontheir equipment so they often apply the lightest rate that they canwithout the highway agencies stopping them. In most cases, if left tothe contractors, no tack coat would be applied.

Stress absorbing membrane interlayers (SAMI) are typically asphaltbinders applied, either hot or in an emulsion format, over an existingdistressed pavement, most commonly asphalt concrete pavements. Theapplication rates are greater than typically used in tack coatapplications, typically 0.4 gallon per square yard or higher for anemulsion based product. The asphalt binders are polymer modified toprovide greater elasticity with the ability to resist underlyingpavement stresses from transmitting into the new asphalt overlay. Afterapplication of the SAMI binder, aggregate is placed over the binder toprevent construction equipment or vehicular traffic from picking up thebinder. The textured surface created by the embedded aggregate in theSAMI provides a mechanical interlock with the new asphalt overlay. Whilethe interlock aids in the ability to compact the new overlay, theuncoated aggregate surface lacks an actual adhesive bond to the newoverlay. The lack of an adhesive bond between the SAMI and the newoverlay may result in longitudinal wheel path cracking.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various features, characteristics and embodiments of thepresent invention which will become apparent as the description thereofproceeds, the present invention provides a method of installing anasphalt pavement, comprising:

identifying a surface to be paved;

applying a non-tracking layer of binder composition to the surface,wherein the binder composition consists essentially of:

-   -   at least one asphalt binder,    -   at least one elastomer, and    -   ethylene bis stearamide; and

permitting the application of an asphalt layer over the non-trackinglayer of binder composition.

The present invention further provides a method of installing an asphaltpavement, comprising:

identifying a surface to be paved;

applying a non-tracking layer of binder composition to the surface,wherein the binder composition consists essentially of:

-   -   at least one asphalt binder,    -   at least one elastomer,    -   sulfur, and    -   ethylene bis stearamide; and

permitting the application of an asphalt layer over the non-trackinglayer of binder composition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described with reference to the attacheddrawing which is given as a non-limiting example only, in which:

FIG. 1 is a graph of the Flexibility Index vs. Hot Applied TackCoat/Interlayer results discussed in the working Examples below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PRESENTLY PREFERREDEMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides for the installation, repair, andpreventive maintenance of asphalt paved surfaces and involves the use ofa hot-applied binder composition. The binder composition of the presentinvention can be used in tack coat applications and stress absorbingmembrane interlayers (SAMI) for asphalt paving and road construction.The binder composition provides for non-tracking, hot-applied binderapplications with improved low temperature flexibility for use beneathasphalt mix courses

The binder composition of the present invention involves the use of asofter polymer modified asphalt that creates a non-tracking tack coat orstress absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI or NT-SAMI).

Softer base asphalts, as measured by penetration or modulus by bendingbeam rheometer, are typically more ductile or flexible than harder baseasphalts. Polymer modification can aid in building stiffness withoutdeteriorating the low temperature behavior of the modified asphalt.Softer asphalts modified with elastomeric polymers have very strongadhesive properties and typically can be very sticky, even at ambienttemperatures.

Applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 15/064,819, filed Mar. 9,2016 (Issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,732,478 on Aug. 15, 2017), which isexpressly incorporated herein by reference, describes a void reducingasphalt membrane composition that was developed for use in forming alongitudinal asphalt pavement construction joints where adjacent pavedcourses or passes abut one another. The area along such longitudinalasphalt pavement construction joints is higher in air voids, creatingpermeability to air and water causing the joint to be subject tooxidization and aging more rapidly than the rest of the pavement. Asdisclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 15/064,819, the voidreducing asphalt membrane compositions were formulated so as to beresistant to lateral flow prior to paving over with hot mix asphalt inorder to remain in the joint area in sufficient quantity to fill voids.At the same time the void reducing asphalt membrane composition wasformulated so that it can be applied in a sufficient thickness to allowit to migrate upward into a freshly placed asphalt overlay during apaving process to reduce air voids and reduce water permeability.Applicants' co-pending application Ser. No. 15/064,819 teaches that aconventional tack coating can be provided under a first or previous passalone or together with a band of the void reducing asphalt membranecomposition.

The present invention is based upon the use of applicants' void reducingasphalt membrane composition as a hot-applied binder composition for usein tack coat applications and stress absorbing membrane interlayers(SAMI) for asphalt paving and road construction.

The binder composition of the present invention can be applied as acoating on an existing pavement surface that defines the first substratein the area where an overlay of asphalt concrete will be placed. Thebinder composition is applied so as to provide a non-tracking tack coator SAMI beneath the area of the new pavement lift in a sufficientthickness to create a bond to the existing surface and the new overlay.When applied at rates from 0.1 to 0.15 gallon per square yard, thebinder composition coating can act as a non-tracking, flexible tackcoat. When applied at higher application rates such as 0.15 to 0.6gallon per square yard the non-tracking tack coat performs as a SAMI andcan migrate upward into the new asphalt mixture lift overlay to improvethe low temperature cracking characteristic of the asphalt mixtureoverlay.

The non-tracking tack coat or SAMI formed by applying the bindercomposition of the present invention can be driven over by constructionequipment or public vehicular traffic without being displaced or pickedup on tires/tracks and removed from its intended location right afterbeing applied.

The non-tracking characteristic of the binder composition simplifies theconstruction process from being a two stage process to a single stageprocess. That is, the conventional additional separate stage or step inwhich an aggregate layer must be applied over a conventional tack coator SAMI for the purpose of preventing pick up and tracking of the bindercan be avoided. Thus the binder composition of the present inventionallows for faster construction and lower construction cost.

A further advantage of the present binder composition can be realized byconsidering that after an aggregate layer is applied over a polymermodified emulsion SAMI, it must be allowed to cure prior to paving. Sucha necessary curing time (which is not required by the binder compositionof the present invention) can delay paving for hours.

A non-tracking tack coat or SAMI provided by application of the presentbinder composition will not flow laterally from its intended placementlocation. Test results using a bending beam rheometer, whichcharacterizes the low temperature characteristics of a binder, haveshown such a non-tracking tack coat or SAMI will perform well attemperatures of −28° C. or lower. This low temperature performancegrading is typically better than binders used in the asphaltcompositions that are applied as top paving courses or passes on top ofa tack coat or SAMI. The addition of higher application rates ofimproved low temperature non-tracking tack coat or SAMI at the interfacebetween pavement layers imparts greater mixture flexibility to resistcracking from traffic loading as well as temperature changes.

A non-tracking tack coat or SAMI produced by the binder composition ofthe present invention will adhere to any type of existing pavementsurface including asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete, milledasphalt concrete or Portland cement concrete or brick or chip sealsurface.

The binder composition of the present invention generally comprises amixture of an asphalt binder, elastomeric polymers, a thickener andadditive to reduce tackiness. An exemplary composition includes anasphalt binder, elastomeric polymers, a wax modifier and can includefumed silica and/or fumed alumina and a saponified fatty acid and aresin acid gelling compound.

The asphalt binder is the main component of the composition and providesthe material strength. The asphalt binder can comprise 85 to 97 wt. % ofthe composition and more preferably 90 to 93 wt. % of the composition.Suitable asphalt binders include paving grade asphalts including;performance graded, viscosity graded or/or penetration graded.

The composition includes an elastomeric polymer component that allows anapplication of the binder composition to expand and contractelastically. The polymer component creates a polymer modified asphaltbinder in combination with the asphalt binder component. Suitableexamples of this polymer component include Styrene-Butadene-Styrene(SBS), Styrene-Butadene Rubber (SBR), Ethylene-Styrene-Interpolymers(ESI), Evaloy (an ethylene terpolymer available from Dupont), and otherelastomeric polymers that are used in polymer modified asphaltcompositions. This polymer component can comprise 1 to 6 wt. % of thecomposition and more preferably 2 to 5 wt. % of the composition.

The wax modifier reduces the viscosity of the composition at the pavingtemperature so that during a paving process the composition can migrateupward into a freshly placed asphalt overlay. Furthermore, at pavementsurface temperature, the wax modifier provides stiffness which reducesissues with tracking. Suitable wax modifiers include, but are notlimited to, waxes of vegetable (e.g. carnuba wax), animal (e.g. beeswax)mineral (e.g. Montan™ wax from coal, Fischer Tropsch wax from coal) orpetroleum (e.g. paraffin wax, polyethylene wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax fromgas) origin including oxidized waxes; amide waxes (e.g. ethylene bisstearamide, stearyl amide, stearylstearamide); fatty acids and soaps ofwaxy nature (e.g. aluminum stearate, calcium stearate, fatty acids). Thewax modifier also improves cohesion properties of the composition. Thewax modifier can comprise 1 to 5 wt. % of the composition and morepreferably 2 to 4 wt. % of the composition.

The fumed silica and/or fumed alumina function as fillers and impartresistance to flow immediately after application and give a non-tackycharacter to the composition that prevents pick-up by construction andnon-construction equipment before paving is complete.

The fumed silica and fumed alumina can be used alone or together in anydesired proportion. The total amount of fumed silica and/or fumedalumina can comprise 1 to 10 wt. % of the composition and morepreferably 3 to 6 wt. % of the composition.

The saponified fatty acid and resin acid gelling compound functions tocontrol the rate at which the composition sets or cures. Suitablesaponified fatty and resin acid gelling compounds include but are notlimited to crude tall or distilled tall oil. The total amount ofsaponified fatty acid and resin acid gelling compound can comprise 0 to3 wt. % of the composition and more preferably 1 to 2 wt. % of thecomposition.

A typical formulation of the binder composition is made by adding thepolymer component to the heated asphalt binder while shearing themixture. After or before the polymer component and asphalt binder arethoroughly mixed the wax modifier can be added while shearing themixture followed by the addition of the fumed silica and/or fumedalumina are and saponified fatty acid and resin acid gelling compound.The mixed binder composition should be stored under conditions ofagitation and heating until application. As can be readily understood,the binder composition of the present invention is not an asphaltemulsion composition.

Examples

The present invention will be discussed with reference to the followingnon-limiting examples which are to be considered merely representativeof the present invention and, thus, should not be considered aslimiting.

For these examples the binder composition of the present invention wasapplied in various application amounts (or rates) as a tack coat layerand stress absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI) between an existingpavement and a new hot mix asphalt (HMA) surface pavement. The sectionswere stationed in 500 foot lengths, with test sections on both sides ofthe existing pavement which was an older HMA surface with moderate tosevere cracking. The test sections were crack mapped and video recordedprior to paving. The paving was a 2 inch intermediate HMA followed by a1 inch surface layer. The hot-applied tack and SAMI test sections wereplaced over the old HMA surface prior to the new paving.

The formulation of the binder composition used in these Examples islisted in Table 1 as follows:

TABLE 1 Component Amount (wt. %) Asphalt binder 91.7 Elastomeric polymer3.2 Sulfur 0.1 Wax Modifier 2 Fumed Silica 3

A control test section was included that contained an SS-1h emulsiondiluted 60:40 with water. The diluted emulsion was sprayed at 0.08gal/yd² resulting in 0.03 gal/yd² residual asphalt.

The hot-applied tack was applied in amounts of 0.07, 0.10 and 0.15gal/yd². The same material was applied at 0.20 and 0.25 gal/yd² tocreate a non-tracking stress absorbing membrane interlayer (NT-SAMI).Application rates were checked by placing a 3×3 foot piece roofing felton the pavement and spraying over and then weighing the roofing felt.Results are shown in the Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Test Application Rates Target Rate, gal/yd² Measured Rate,gal/yd² 0.07 0.071 0.10 Did not measure 0.15 0.152 0.20 0.204 0.25 0.286

The hot-applied tack and NT-SAMI did not pick up on the tires of thetruck or paver that were used to apply the asphalt binder composition.The tires did create a “Velcro” sound when moving over the tack. The0.25 gal/yd² test section was a very heavy appearing application. Theasphalt film was heavy enough to begin to fill ¼ inch wide cracks in theexisting pavement. The tires on the haul trucks remained clean over theentire length of the test section.

Each test section including the control section was cored for laboratorytesting. The cores were taken to include the tack coat and NT-SAMImaterial and the asphalt mixes below. The cores were then trimmed tocreate a composite specimen with 2″ of the existing asphalt mixture, thetack coat/NT-SAMI material and the newly placed 2″ HMA.

A modified Illinois Flexibility Index Test (I-FIT) procedure wasperformed on cores from each test section. This method is used tocharacterize the cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures with higherFlexibility Index values indicating a higher degree of resistance tocracking. The test is conducted at 25° C. and a controlled strain rateof 50 mm/min. The energy to propagate a crack through a test specimen iscalculated. Results are shown in the Table 3 below and also in FIG. 1which is a graph of the Flexibility Index vs. Hot Applied TackCoat/Interlayer results.

TABLE 3 Energy, Flexibility Specimen J/m² Index Section 1, 0.03 gal/yd²ss-1h Average 1068 2.05 Section 2, 0.07 gal/yd² Hot Track Average 10583.65 Section 3, 0.10 gal/yd² Hot Track Average 1714 4.76 Section 4, 0.15gal/yd² Hot Track Average 1180 4.61 Section 5, 0.20 gal/yd² NT-SAMIAverage 1246 5.75 Section 6, 0.25 gal/yd² NT-SAMI Average 1979 13.09

The cores from the control section where conventional tack was appliedat 0.03 gal/yd² yielded a Flexibility Index of 2.1.

Cores from the test sections at different application rates ofhot-applied tack are on average double the flexibility index as comparedto the control section.

Cores from the test sections where the hot-applied tack coat was appliedat higher rates to act as a non-tracking stress absorbing membraneinterlayer, were 3 to 6 times higher on Flexibility Index.

Although the present invention has been described with reference toparticular means, materials and embodiments, from the foregoingdescription, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essentialcharacteristics of the present invention and various changes andmodifications can be made to adapt the various uses and characteristicswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention asdescribed above and set forth in the attached claims.

1. A method of installing an asphalt pavement, comprising: identifying asurface to be paved; applying a non-tracking layer of binder compositionto the surface, wherein the binder composition consists essentially of:at least one asphalt binder, at least one elastomer, and ethylene bisstearamide; and permitting the application of an asphalt layer over thenon-tracking layer of binder composition.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the at least one elastomer comprises an SBS polymer.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the at least one elastomer comprises about 2to about 5 wt. % of the binder composition.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the at least one asphalt binder comprises about 85 to about 97wt. % of the binder composition.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thesubstrate comprises a pre-existing asphalt surface.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the asphalt layer is applied directly onto thenon-tracking layer.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the asphalt layercomprises a hot-mix asphalt.
 8. A method of installing an asphaltpavement, comprising: identifying a surface to be paved; applying anon-tracking layer of binder composition to the surface, wherein thebinder composition consists essentially of: at least one asphalt binder,at least one elastomer, sulfur, and ethylene bis stearamide; andpermitting the application of an asphalt layer over the non-trackinglayer of binder composition.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the atleast one elastomer comprises an SBS polymer.
 10. The method of claim 8,wherein the at least one elastomer comprises about 2 to about 5 wt. % ofthe binder composition
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at leastone asphalt binder comprises about 85 to about 97 wt. % of the bindercomposition.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprisesa pre-existing asphalt surface.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein theasphalt layer is applied directly onto the non-tracking layer.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the asphalt layer comprises a hot-mixasphalt.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the ethylene bis stearamidecomprises about 1 to about 5 wt. % of the binder composition.
 16. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the ethylene bis stearamide comprises about 1to about 5 wt. % of the binder composition.
 17. The method of claim 1,wherein the method further comprises permitting the binder compositionto migrate upward into the asphalt layer.
 18. The method of claim 8,wherein the method further comprises permitting the binder compositionto migrate upward into the asphalt layer.